1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing device, such as a video cassette recorder (VCR), which is operable with a plurality of (at least two) types of different size tape cassettes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a magnetic recording and/or reproducing device which is constructed to be operable with at least two types of different size tape cassettes is provided with a lid opener for opening the lid of a tape cassette which is loaded into the device. This lid opener is used as follows. A positional reference for receiving a tape cassette is set in the device. The different size tape cassettes are offset toward the positional reference so that one end of each of the cassettes is fit to the positional reference so as to be loaded into the device. The lid opener can thus be shared to be adaptable to a plurality of tape cassettes.
Alternatively, when the above-mentioned method is not employed whereby the tape cassette is offset toward the positional reference, the different size tape cassettes are loaded into the device so that the widthwise centers of the tape cassettes coincide with each other.
In such a case, the lid opener formed of, for example, a pin member is moved to a predetermined position by an independent drive motor so as to be adaptable to the size of the loaded tape cassette.
However, such a conventional magnetic recording and/or reproducing device, particularly, a device of the type which has a tape cassette loaded therein by matching the widthwise centers of such cassettes, presents the following problems. In order to position the lid opener at the end of the lid of the tape cassette, an independent drive motor is required for suitably moving the lid opener from side to side (the widthwise direction of the tape cassette). Accordingly, such a drive motor and many parts related to the drive motor are required, thereby further increasing in complexity the mechanism and the construction of the components which are placed adjacent to the drive motor, and inevitably increasing the costs of manufacture and the resultant product.